(1) Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to sanitary coverings, and more particularly, to sanitary coverings for shopping carts and the like and particularly the handles of shopping carts to prevent the passage of infectious agents from one shopping cart handler or user to another as well as to relieve anxiety in the users of shopping carts in public places concerning contamination from previous users.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
It is well known that many disease agents are passed or vectored from one already infected individual to other individuals through direct body contact or through indirect body contact with objects which have come into body contact with an already infected individual or an individual who has failed to take elementary sanitary precautions. For example, it is well known that many individuals are careless about washing their hands after their toilet and that such individuals may frequently carry disease organisms to other persons.
Disease organisms are frequently, for example, carried from one individual to another in the preparation and serving of food. Other disease organisms may be transferred to originally uninfected individuals from infected individuals through the touching of doorknobs, money and the like. In fact, as is generally known, paper money is sometimes provided with bactericidal preparations in order to inhibit passage of infectious organisms. Various bactericidal sprays are available to spray onto surfaces that might become contaminated by bodily contact and become a vector for infection of subsequent persons coming into contact with such surfaces.
One place where disease and infectious processes may be readily passed from one individual to another is the ordinary handle of a shopping cart. As is well known, almost everyone eventually ends up in food stores with their hands grasping the handles of shopping carts. Such handles are almost never cleaned and are handled in some cases, by scores of people during the normal business day. Many of these people are less careful of their personal hygiene than might be desirable and even fastidiously clean individuals may unwittingly transfer disease organisms to other individuals. For example, it is now known that a prime transmittal mode or medium for the cold virus is not so much through small particles and disease organisms floating or suspended in the air, but through physical contact from one individual to another, usually via objects which are handled first by the diseased person and later by a healthy person. It is frequently recommended, therefore, that when one is around a person who may be infected with one of the numerous cold viruses or other respiratory diseases, that the healthy person not touch anything which might be contaminated with such virus or viruses and particularly, should not touch their own nose or eyes with anything which may contact with a surface where the cold virus may have collected such as doorknobs, handles of bathroom fixtures, kitchen and other utensils and the like. While the cold virus usually does not remain infectious more than several hours, perhaps four to five or even six hours, in fairly moist conditions, and less than four hours in dry conditions, this is usually a sufficient amount of time for a virus to be transferred from one individual to another. There are also, of course, numerous bacterial disease organisms which may be similarly transferred by direct or indirect contact and may be infectiously viable for considerably longer periods.
One prime source of infectious contact is generally completely ignored by most persons. This is the handle of the ubiquitous shopping cart found in almost all food stores and supermarkets as well as many other stores such as discount drug stores and the like. The handles of these shopping carts are intimately grasped by many individuals during a day, both those who are healthy and those who are sick, those who may be careful in washing their own hands and those who may never wash their hands. While some members of the public recognize this danger and are loathe to touch the handles of shopping carts, there has until now been little which the average individual could do to avoid contact or contamination from this source, other than to carry a tissue or the like and wipe or polish the handle before using it themselves. Such measures, however, while probably helpful, are by no means an effective solution for a rather serious problem. Without soap and water and/or heat, for example, it is not only very difficult to clean the surfaces of most physical objects, but it is embarrassing for many individuals to have others see them trying to take health precautions when it may be implied from their actions by other persons that their friends and neighbors may find them unsanitary or even disease-ridden. Such ostentatious cleaning might also be thought to project a negative image of the business establishment involved.
Most people, therefore, are unaware of the serious problem with respect to transfer of disease organisms and filth in general from one person to another on the handles of shopping carts and the like and those persons who may be aware of such problem, generally, feel it is necessary to "grin and bear it".
While there have in the past, been advertising coverings for shopping cart handles in the form of paper or plastic coverings which advertise sales and the like in the store in which the cart is used, such advertising coverings have, because of their texture and because they are not changed from one customer to another, increased rather than decreased the problem of preventing transfer of infectious material from one individual to another handling or touching the shopping cart handles. It has also been suggested to provide other types of coverings for the handles of shopping carts, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,868,544, a shopping cart handle is provided with a wraparound cover into which is incorporated a radio receiver and/or transmitter which aids in location and tracking of the shopping cart. Again, while such coverings in effect isolate the shopping cart handle itself from contact with diseased or infectious individuals, since such coverings permanently cover the handles of shopping carts, they do little, if anything, to prevent the transfer of infectious materials from one individual to another who may handle the shopping cart handles and, in fact, probably increase such transfer because of their formation from materials having a rougher texture than the usual original shopping cart handle. Such handles are, therefore, more likely to retain infectious agents for longer periods in a viable state for transference of disease processes from one individual to another.
There has been a need, therefore, for a means to prevent transfer of infectious agents from one individual to another by way of the common shopping cart handle.
Objects of the Invention
It is an object of the present invention, therefore, to provide a temporary sanitary covering for a shopping cart handle to prevent infection of a person using the shopping cart derived from a previous individual who may previously have handled the shopping cart.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a sanitary covering for a shopping cart handle which may be carried by an individual as a personal sanitary device for use while in stores.
It is a still further object of the invention to provide a sanitary wrapping for covering the handle of a shopping cart which is easy to apply and remove.
It is a still further object of the invention to provide a portable sanitary covering for the handles of shopping carts which is both easy to apply and remove and can be carried handily in a purse or the like from store to store.
It is a still further object of the invention to provide a temporary disposable sanitary covering for the handles of shopping carts which can be dispensed at the entrance to a store to those patrons desiring to make use of such covering to protect them from possible contamination from prior customers.
It is a still further object of the invention to provide a convenient sanitary covering for shopping cart handles which extends also over the adjacent portion of the cart or the support for the handle, particularly to prevent young children from grasping the portions of the shopping or touching their mouths to such portions.
It is a still further object of the invention to provide a sanitary covering for the handle of a shopping cart which effectively covers the handle of a full-sized shopping cart, but which can also be used on mini-sized carts.
It is a still further object of the invention to provide a covering for the handle of a shopping cart which will quickly and easily attach to such handle and will protect the hands of the user from any possible contamination by touching uncovered portions of those portions of the shopping cart which may be touched by prior customers.
It is a still further object of the invention to provide a sanitary covering for the handle of a shopping cart which is provided as a series of disengageable coverings which may be torn off by the customer and placed over the cart handle.
It is a still further object of the invention to provide a sanitary covering for a shopping cart which may have other useful attachments to it such as a clip for coupons and the like.
It is a still further object of the invention to provide a sanitary cover for the handle of a shopping cart which is provided with storage compartments for coupons and the like.
It is a still further object of the invention to provide an easily portable sanitary covering for a shopping cart or the like which has attached thereto a calculator for use in the store.
It is a still further object of the invention to provide a sanitary covering for a shopping cart handle which is provided broadly with attachment means for the attachment of various desired appendages to such covering.
It is a still further object of the invention to provide a sanitary covering for a shopping cart handle which may be dispensed from a roll of such coverings.
It is a still further object of the invention to provide a sanitary covering for a shopping cart handle which has a renewable sanitary surface for contacting the shopping cart handle.
It is a still further object of the invention to provide a sanitary covering for a shopping cart handle which is both strong and durable and completely non-toxic to eliminate any possibility of toxic reactions by children who may fondle or place their mouths over such sanitary handle covering.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will become evident by a careful study of the following description of several embodiments together with the appended drawings of various embodiments of the invention.